Author Archives: Issa

7 Money Lessons for Financial Literacy Month

April 10 11:17 am ,

Explore the Past and the Future

Guest post from Andrea Woroch.

April is an important month when it comes to spending money.

Soon-to-be grads prep for the “real world” as parents contemplate the rising costs of summer camp for their kids. Homeowners tackle pricey improvement projects during more favorable spring temperatures while others face the looming tax deadline for paying outstanding debt. With all the mounting financial woes Americans face this time of year, no wonder April has been dubbed National Financial Literacy Month in hopes of promoting financial health among consumers.

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Posted in: Financial Planning , Tagged:

Time to Write

April 2 12:51 pm ,

One of many inspirations to write: A cry - our land is sacred

 

I thought Canada would give me more time to write.

It did.  But not doing anything – and actually being able to write – if prolonged – may be a scary reality for a new immigrant.

Canada affords one many pleasures, like exploration of its many parks and walkways, or the comfort of its libraries where one can read and browse at his own leisure, or the contemplation of an oak tree losing all its leaves in winter, or of the snow, dainty and pristine, falling in all its innocence when the warm winds has failed to turn its specks into rain.

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Posted in: Canada , Tagged:

Strong Women, Strong Canada

March 21 3:20 pm ,

Vision of Canada

“No gypsies, no Irish, no blacks.”

One could have dropped a pin and it would be heard, as there was silence as all eyes and ears were on International Women’s Day 2012 keynote speaker Angela Baines as she held a paper with those words.  All at once, and while Baines was recounting her immigrant story in Europe and Canada, everyone started thinking about their own stories, their entry into Canada and the similar challenges that they faced as women.

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Posted in: Canada , Tagged: , ,

Immigration is Hardest for Foreign-Trained Professionals

March 7 1:31 pm ,
Life in Canada

Slice of Life

This is fact.

And it’s a fact disclosed to Filipino professionals – lawyers, doctors, accountants, architects, engineers, and many others — before they ever embark on a plane to Canada to claim First World lives.

But too often, these foreign-trained professionals refuse to believe it. They can’t believe all the hours they’ve spent in school, training, and work will ultimately mean nothing. They can’t believe their lives will change that dramatically, or that they won’t be given a chance, at the very least, to show what they can do.

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Posted in: Canada , Tagged: , , ,

Resort Review: Pacific Shores Resort and Spa (Vancouver Island)

February 20 2:09 pm ,

Pacific Shores Resort and Spa

My timeshare is probably one of the best investments I have ever made.

I did not always think so.

I ranted about fees, used it sparingly, suffered poor customer service, thought about selling it.

But very recently, RCI redeemed itself through one beautiful resort in Vancouver Island.

Enter Pacific Shores Resort and Spa.

Let’s start from the very beginning.  The resort was in Vancouver Island, which is not in Vancouver, and we had to cross a body of water to go to it.  And by body of water, I mean a large one, and by cross, I mean through a ferry.  So we took the BC Ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island and brought our rental car to the island (our rental car on a ferry!).  This was the first time hubby drove in Canada ever so he was not very pleased that (1) he was driving the car to the inside of the ferry (which was crowded with other cars) (2) the ferry, with the car (and us), will be sailing for more than an hour and (3) he was sticking his neck out and his driver’s license too by doing this.  But after all is said and done, I think he did a great job.  (whew)

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Posted in: Canada, Travel , Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Interesting Infographics Comparing Eastern and Western Medicine

February 12 2:48 pm ,

Dawn

Last year, when we were still going to Dr. Tan Ci Shou, renowned practitioner of Eastern medicine, I wrote a post on East versus West: Alternative Medicine.

In our story, the West ultimately won, and hubby underwent pacemaker implantation.  But honestly, there are still doubts in our minds of whether this was the right thing to do.  However, we were pressed for time, and caught between life and death.  Of course, we went for life.

But here is an interesting infographics I received, which is a comparison between eastern and western medicine.  Obviously, it leans towards the east, which is the older and less invasive of the two.  Having been reared the western way (in terms of medicine at least), eastern medicine presents to me a viable alternative, one that I would give some serious thought to.  After all, being informed, and knowing about alternatives, is half the battle.

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Posted in: Life Stories , Tagged: ,

Cutting Corners: Retailers Making Bottom-Line Resolutions

February 9 4:05 pm ,

Snippets

Post from Andrea Woroch.

Consumers tend to make straightforward New Year resolutions: Spend less, save more and pay down debt. This year, it appears retailers want to change just one thing…their bottom line. The tried-and-true methods aren’t working anymore as consumers learn to resist the urge to buy, so merchants are starting their own trends.

According to Bloomberg, consumer spending stalled in December, with a rise of just 0.1 percent, as Americans took advantage of last year’s slight jump in income to restore depleted savings. So what are retailers doing to change this trend? Here are a few examples.

1. JCPenney Ditches Sales
Shoppers have caught onto false savings, in which stores boost prices just before dropping them again for supposed sales. In an announcement last month, JCPenney basically admitted to this practice and said they were launching an everyday-low-prices campaign. For example, jeans that used to retail for $25 — but typically ended up selling for $15 — will just start off at $15.

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Posted in: Financial Education , Tagged: ,

Lessons from a Portuguese Woman

February 1 1:37 pm ,

The View

She was in coveralls, smudged by soot from head to toe.

She had been cleaning the fireplace of one of the apartment she owns.  She did not look the part at that time – but I was looking at one of the more financially savvy immigrant septuagenarian of Vancouver.  Her eyes had confidence as it held mine, and kindness too, perceptible and palpable, the trait of ladies who have aged gently.  I could tell life has been good to her, because maybe she has been good to it.

I was a prospective renter and I engaged her in conversation because her story – which I knew from people who knew her for some time – greatly interested me.  She owned several apartments but she arrived in Canada without money, or possessions.  I wondered how that could be, what’s her story, and can it be duplicated?

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Posted in: Canada, Financial Education, Life Stories, Mentors , Tagged: , ,